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45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, February 23, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 6, 2004 A bridge over Bear Creek at a future sports park site near Bear Creek Corp. in south Medford will provide access for cars, bikes and pedestrians to parking and baseball fields planned for the creek�s west side. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell City OKs sports park But Medford still needs the money to develop it By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune The City Council signed off Thursday on plans for a 132-acre, $13.5 million sports park in south Medford. Now all the city needs is some cash to make it a reality. "There’s $700,000 in the budget right now to do the first phase of infrastructure (streets and utilities)," said Parks and Recreation Director Scott Archer in an interview following the council meeting. But that’s about it. "The bulk of it is not identified," he said. Advertisement Baseball fields, soccer fields, hiking trails and a nature center are part of the design for the regional sports park complex to be built in phases east of Highway 99 near Bear Creek Corp. and the former Starlite Theater. The city purchased the former Heitkamp farm property through revenue bonds in 2002, and it will pay for the park partly through a hotel/motel tax increase passed two years ago. Councilwoman Claudette Moore said a resident expressed concerns that there were no designated football fields. Archer said there is shared space for soccer, football and other field sports. The design evolved after a series of public meetings during which sports enthusiasts ranging from disc golf to lawn bowling shared their ideas. The park’s architects, Walker Macy of Portland, modified the design after soccer proponents complained that the plan was heavy on baseball and light on soccer. Merlin McDaniel, hired by the city in April to organize the park’s design and construction, said the next step is to do detailed environmental studies to determine positioning of park amenities. Then streets and utilities will start to go in. The city’s next step will be planning the funding options — from public and private sources — for the park’s construction, said Archer. "It’s something that the council will need to provide us direction on," he said. Among the possibilities is the pending agreement with Wal-Mart to purchase the county’s Miles Field property. The county could give some of that money to help fund a replacement stadium baseball field in the new sports park. Wal-Mart’s proposal for a supercenter on the Miles Field site goes before the Site Plan and Architectural Review Commission at noon today in City Council Chambers, City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford. Reach reporter Meg Landersat 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times